Was Osama Bin Laden A “True” Muslim?

Unfortunately, all some crackpot usually has to do to get a following is cloak himself in one or more tenants of an existing religion and folks will follow him like he’s the New Prophet.

And the problem is there are, quite simply, so many tenants.

Like, let’s say Osama bin Laden tried to justify his actions by using the Qur’an and saying that in ordering the bombing of the World Trade Center, he was only following Surah 2:256 which says: “Warfare is ordained unto you, although it is hateful unto you.”

The counter argument is, of course, Surah 2:190 which says: “Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.”

Is it possible that bin Laden knew one Surah well and missed the other one entirely? Not if he was as stern a believer in Sharia as he was rumored to be.

He also must have missed Surah 6:151 which says: “Slay not the life which Allah hath made sacred, save in the course of justice.”

It would be difficult to argue that death was a warranted justice on 9/11 for nearly 3,000 people, specifically when you consider that, by percentages alone, anywhere between 12 and 69 of those peoplemust have been fellow Muslims.

Most importantly, as a holy man, bin Laden had a responsibility to act according to Surah 22:108-109 which reads: “Say: It is only inspired in me that your God is One God, Will ye then surrender (unto Him)? But if they are averse, then say, I have warned you all alike…”, but bin Laden didn’t get around to “warning” America about her evil self until he did so in a letter written in October of 2002.

By anybody’s math, that’s clearly after 9/11/2001.

So was Osama bin Laden a “true” Muslim?

Well, he certainly didn’t go by the book.

But of course, like Surah 74:38 says: “Every soul is a pledge for its own deeds.”

Personally, I’m just trying to follow Surah 2:282 which says: “…No scribe should refuse to write as Allah has taught him, so let him write…”